She tells me in the Chinese lunar calendar it is the Year of the Rooster.

When I think about the date–28th January–I’m reminded that it is also marks what would have been my late brother Peter’s 69th birthday.

Peter (seated) directing an episode of Highlander.

I don’t remember Peter having much to do with chickens except that from time to time he most likely ate some.

Peter died almost 11 years ago–quite suddenly aged 58–while out walking his dog in Griffith Park in Los Angeles.

He was a TV drama director at the height of his powers with a great future.

They say that directing TV drama in Tinsel Town is a very stressful occupation.

So to mark Peter’s birthday and the Chinese New Year, here is a simple recipe for Roast Chicken that has served me well for years and features in my latest cookbook, Mediterranean Cooking for Diabetics.

Simple Roast Chicken

for 4

1 free range chicken–about a 3 pounder

olive oil

salt & pepper

6 bay leaves

3 cloves garlic–unpeeled and whole

1 lemon — halved

1 glass of white wine

set oven at 190c

Rub the chicken with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper

Stuff the cavity with the with the bay leaves, garlic and lemon halves

Place in a roasting pan and into the oven.

Roast the chicken for about one-and-a-half hours.

Baste it about half-way through the cooking process.

It should be nicely browned and when pricked, the juices should run clear, not pink.

Remove from oven.

Pick up the bird with a pair of oven gloves and up end it, letting the juices run back into the pan.

This a little tricky–but worth it for the taste of the gravy.

Tip the pan carefully and spoon out excess fat/oil– leaving about a table spoonful in the pan.

Add the glass of white wine and scrape any residue sticking to the pan.